Parent engagement with early care and education providers improves child outcomes, provider outcomes, and parent/child relationships. As their child’s first teacher, parents have a critical role in nurturing their child’s growth and development—children gain academic benefits from early and continued parent engagement that continue through elementary school and beyond. Despite understanding the importance of engaging parents, early care and education providers often experience challenges—particularly with isolated parents or those with a history of trauma. Our brains—all of our brains—work hard to minimize threats and maximize rewards and we can leverage neuroscience findings to promote parent engagement. This workshop will touch on the following:•Brain basics that influence engagement • How trauma may influence parents’ ability to engage • How relationships transform the brain • How unconscious bias influences the way we interact and engage • Brain-based ways to maximize and maintain parent engagement
